Schizachyrium plant named ‘Standing Ovation’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Schizachyrium scoparium , ‘Standing Ovation’, that is characterized by its wide leaf blades, its foliage that is blue in color with red tips throughout the growing season and changing to red and maroon in fall, and turning brown very late in the season, and its upright and rigid plant habit that is retained without lodging when plants are grown in rich soils or during container production.

Botanical classification: Schizachyrium scoparium.

Varietal denomination: ‘Standing Ovation’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofSchizachyrium scoparium and will be referred to hereafter by itscultivar name, ‘Standing Ovation’. ‘Standing Ovation’ represents a newcultivar of little bluestem, an ornamental grass grown for landscapeuse.

The new cultivar, ‘Standing Ovation’, was discovered by the Inventors asa naturally occurring whole plant mutation in a trail bed in Landenberg,Pa. in summer of 2003. The new cultivar was growing amongst plants ofSchizachyrium scoparium ‘The Blues’ (not patented). The parentage isunknown, however ‘The Blues’ is thought to be a likely parent based onthe characteristics of the new cultivar and its proximity.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by oneof the Inventors by division in Landenberg, Pa. in May of 2008. Asexualreproduction of the new cultivar by division and tissue culture hasshown that the unique features are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed over an 8-year periodand represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributesin combination distinguish ‘Standing Ovation’ as a new and uniquecultivar of Schizachyrium.

-   -   1. ‘Standing Ovation’ exhibits an upright and rigid plant habit.    -   2. ‘Standing Ovation’ exhibits wide leaf blades.    -   3. ‘Standing Ovation’ exhibits foliage that is blue in color        with red tips throughout the growing season and changes to red        and maroon in color in fall.    -   4. ‘Standing Ovation’ retains it fall color late in the season        and does not “brown out” early as is typical of many cultivars        of Schizachyrium scoparium.    -   5. ‘Standing Ovation’ does not lodge when grown in rich soils or        when grown in container production.

‘The Blues’, a likely parent of ‘Standing Ovation’, differs from‘Standing Ovation’ in having narrower blue foliage that does not havered tips or turn red in the fall and that turns brown 6 to 8 weeksearlier in fall and differs in having stems that are thinner and tend tolodge when grown in rich soils or in container production. ‘StandingOvation’ can be most closely compared to the cultivars ‘MinnblueA’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 17,310, also known as “Blue Heaven”) and ‘The Blaze’ (notpatented). ‘MinnblueA’ differs from ‘Standing Ovation’ in having thinnerfoliage that becomes tinged with red later in the season and turns brownearlier in fall, its taller height, and its tendency to flop in richersoils and during container production. ‘The Blaze’ differs from‘Standing Ovation’ in having thinner leaves that do not turn red untillater in the season.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the characteristics of the newcultivar ‘Standing Ovation’ and were taken of plants about 3 years inage as grown in trial beds in Landenberg, Pa.

The photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates the plant habit and foliagecoloration of ‘Standing Ovation’ in late October.

The photograph in FIG. 2 illustrates the foliage coloration of ‘StandingOvation’ in early October.

The photograph in FIG. 3 illustrates the foliage coloration of ‘StandingOvation’ in summer.

The photograph in FIG. 4 illustrates the foliage coloration of ‘StandingOvation’ in November.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with thephotographic and printing technology utilized. The color values cited inthe detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of thenew Schizachyrium.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of three-year old plants of thenew cultivar as grown in Landenberg, Pa. The phenotype of the newcultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, andcultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withThe 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—From August to February in Pennsylvania.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial grass, upright and narrow,            thick fine textured foliage.        -   Height and width or spread.—Average of 86 cm in height and            30 cm in width.        -   Hardiness zone.—U.S.D.A. Zones 3 to 9.        -   Diseases and pests.—Has shown moderate rust resistance with            less legions than other Schizachyrium varieties grown under            the same trial conditions.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, wiry, numerous roots, deep.-   Growth and propagation:    -   -   Propagation.—Root division, then basal stem cuttings and            tissue culture.        -   Growth.—Vigorous.-   Culm (stem) description:    -   -   General.—Solid, strong, held erect, un-branched with            numerous flowering stems emerging from upper portion of            culm.        -   Culm number.—An average of 3 per division.        -   Culm color (non-sheathed portion).—Early in summer; 145B,            late summer/fall; 145B on lower part of culm and 182B or            174B on upper portion of culm.        -   Culm size.—An average of 3 mm in width and up to 100 cm in            height from the base of culm to the base of the terminal            flowering stem (peduncle), non-sheathed portion between            leaves is an average of 3.5 cm in length.        -   Culm surface.—Glabrous.        -   Internode length.—An average of 10 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Linear.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Margins.—Entire, scabrous.        -   Leaf base.—Sheathed to node.        -   Leaf venation.—Parallel, color matches leaf coloration.        -   Leaf width.—Basal leaves; an average of 4 mm, culm leaves;            leave blade an average of 6 mm, sheathed portion an average            of 3 mm.        -   Leaf length.—Basal leaves; an average of 25 cm, culm leaves;            leaf blades an average of 23 cm, sheathed portion an average            of 10 cm.        -   Leaves number.—Basal leaves; an average of 6 per division,            culm leaves; an average of 5 per culm.        -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous and dull on both surfaces.        -   Leaf auricle.—Not present.        -   Leaf collar.—Continuous around culm, 1.5 mm in height, 145B            in color with a coating of 155A.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate, 2 ranked.        -   Leaf persistence.—Foliage dries but persistent through            winter.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sheathed.        -   Ligule.—1 mm in width, 161D in color, membranous with about            6 very fine hairs 8 mm in length.        -   Leaf color.—Spring: upper and lower surface 189A, early to            late summer upper surface; leaf blades 189A become            increasingly suffused with N77A, early to late summer lower            surface; leaf blades 189A become slightly suffused with            N77A, early to late fall; leaf blades become heavily            suffused with a blend of N77A, N79A and N79B on upper            surface and a color greyer than N77C on the lower surface,            browning does not occur until winter.-   Flower description: (Flowers are as typical of Schizachyrium    scoparium).    -   -   Inflorescent type.—Racemes at terminus and at nodes.        -   Inflorescence no.—An average of 18 racemes per culm, about 2            to 5 per branch.        -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 5.5 cm in length and 8 mm            in diameter (not including peduncle).        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About 2 weeks.        -   Spikelets.—An average of 10 per raceme, pair of florets            arranged alternately on an articulating rachis; lower            floret: pedicellate and sterile; comprised of pedicel about            4 mm in length and 1 mm in. width, 145A in color, surface            pubescent with long hairs, and a lanceolate shaped lemma            about 3 mm in length and 1 mm in width, 137B in color, with            a short awn about 2 mm in length and 145D in color, upper            floret; fertile, sessile, comprised to glumes about 6 mm in            length and 1.5 mm in width, lanceolate in shape, 137B in            color, and glabrous on both surfaces, lemma about 6 mm in            length and 1 mm in width, 145D in color with margin 137B,            membranous, thin awn about 1.2 mm in length, stamens; 3,            about 4 mm in length and 0.7 mm in width, N77A in color,            pollen is low in quantity and N199B in color, pistil; 1, 2            stigmas that are quickly fleeting, plumose, about N170D in            color and 2 mm in length, ovary; 1, single-celled, about 1            mm in length and width, N170D in color, Rachis. —            Articulating, average of 6 cm in length and 0.5 mm in width,            a blend of 137B and N199B in color, pubescent surface.        -   Peduncle.—An average of 8 cm in length and 1 mm in width,            N77B in color.        -   Seed.—Caryopsis, lemma adhering to the caryopsis, actual            caryopsis very small and fine, less than 1 mm in diameter.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Schizachyrium plantnamed ‘Standing Ovation’ as herein illustrated and described.